Leftover turkey soup recipe
The best way to use up any leftover Christmas turkey? Make this a hearty, warming soup for a lovely Boxing Day lunch. You can use this stock recipe for other dishes, too.
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
SERVES
Six
INGREDIENTS
For the stock:
1 turkey or chicken carcase, and any bones
2 carrots, peeled and cut into large dices
2 sticks of celery, halved
1 small onion, peeled, cut in half
1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
1 sprig of thyme
To finish the soup:
Knob of butter
½ tsp picked thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 leek, sliced and washed
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
2 tsp tomato purée
100g pearl barley
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Olive oil, to serve
Freshly grated parmesan, to serve
METHOD
If there is any meat still left on the carcase or bones, pick it off and leave to one side. About 200g is a handy amount, so add any leftover ham or chicken too.
Add the carcase and bones to a large pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Skim off any froth or residue that rises to the surface and add the vegetables, garlic and thyme.
Simmer for an hour to produce a nice light stock. When the taste is to your liking, remove from the heat and strain the stock.
Separate the vegetables from the carcase and place them in a sieve or colander (discarding the thyme sprig and garlic skins). Use a ladle to press the vegetables through so you have something like a purée. Keep to one side.
In another pan, heat the butter and add the thyme, garlic, leek and parsnips. Sauté for four minutes then add the tomato purée and cook for three minutes.
Add the pearl barley and pour over 1.2 litres of the turkey stock. Cook on a low simmer for 30 minutes, or until the pearl barley is cooked.
Just before serving, add the turkey along with the puréed vegetables and heat through. Finish with parsley, a good glug of olive oil and some parmesan.
